Last year, we hungrily watched the strawberry patch we had planted the year before. Finally, one June day, the berries were nearly perfect. We decided to give them one more day to ripen, but when we went out the next day to pick them... GONE.
The birds had eaten every last one. I've yet to forgive them.
This year, the strawberry patch is bigger; we've added a fairly large veggie garden as well. I'm a lazy gardener, which means that I want the highest yield possible for the smallest amount of work. That also means that I don't share with birds.
I'll net the berries in a week or so to keep them safe, but that's an impractical solution for the garden. Instead, I need some great ideas for discouraging birds in the first place. I'll tell you what I've got in mind after the break.
Gardening experts recommend being pro-active. Put your plan of action in place
before the birds recognize your garden as a feeding spot. Once they've moved in, they're really hard to evict.
Scare devices use sight and sound to discourage birds from visiting your garden. Birds don't like anything that's reflective, shiny, or that makes noise. Scare devices can include:
Whatever method you choose to use, keep in mind that birds quickly get comfortable with an unchanging landscape.
DoItYourself.com has a few tips for making your scare devices more effective:
- Move items every 1-3 days, preferably in the evening.
- Change the elevation of your scare devices, as well as their location. If they are over the plants one day, sink them lower to be among the plants another.
- Try using items at different periods during the day.
- Hide the scare items when you aren't using them.
- Trapping, killing, or poisoning a bird is against the law, so keep your efforts humane (and legal!).
What about you -- how do you keep birds out of
your garden?
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